Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-07-15
not ATEETOTALER

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not A TEETOTALER.
MIR. ED1ToE:-ln the Herald of June
24th there appears an article, bearing
the above heading from the pen of my
fellow-toWnsman, O. w. Moorehead.
The article seems to have been in
spired by desire OF the part Of Mr..
Morehead to set himself squaraly be-
fore the public on the great, and may
not say, greatest social question of the
present age.
We are glad to have our neighbors
and friends speak plainly on this ques-
ton, hoping that they have given it
that amount of investigation which
enables them to arrive at conclusions,
supported and upheld by a reasonable
amount of good sense and honest pur-
pose. Then, if, from our standpoint.
they reason from wrong premises, or
are actuated by wrong motives, we are
at liberty to assail them, not in a con-
troversial or dogmatic spirit, but to pre-
sent facts, which are substantiated by
observation and experience, and char
acteri4ed always by an honest, intlex-
IDLE purpose to arrive at the truth.
Unfortunately In the present case,
DO facts are presented for as to contro-
vert, simply assumptions, devoid Of,
and, excuse me for saying,) incapable
of, proof.
A routine Of questions are asked, and
our friend closes his brief article by the
sweeping assertion, that prohibition is
not for this day and generation. Now,
as to his first question, "Does prohibit
tion prohiDit?" l answer emphatically
eyes, and in proof Of this would refer
the gentleman to recent letter, writ
ten by Governor La1rabee, of the state
of Iowa, to parties residing in other
states, desiring information regarding
prohibition in Iowa. This letter bears
date, June oath 1887, and says: "Prohi-
bition is enforced in eighty-fve of the
ninety-nlne counties of Iowa, as effect
ually as the laws against other crimes
are enforced, and in the remaining
IA counties it is partially enforced and
gradually yielding to a public senti-
ment favorable to enforcement.
Now, will Mr.. Moorehead, or any
other enemy to prohibition, tell us that
because one.seventh of the counties of
Iowa are partial lily successful in resist
ing prohibition, that prohibition does
not prohibit?
But, they say, it does not prohibit
selling liquor on the sly. Neither, my
good friends, does the law against theft
prevent stealing on the sly, providing
the thief chooses to take his chances
But let us see for Il rnoment the effects
Of the law on crime.
lion. j. w. Ruddick. judge of the 18th
judicial district Qow;O, reports the iails
in his district are virtually idle. That
in eight terms of court held by him,
under prohibitory law, lot an indict-
ment was found 10y the grand jury,
The Hon. j ohm NJ. Harvey makes the
following interesting report from his
district. He says, have been judge
four and a half years, = that in 1883 he
sentenced thirty-one criminals to the
penitentiary. In 1884 he sentenced
twenty-three, in 1885 twenty, in 1886
fourteen. In the first year the saloons
were all running. In the second and
third years they were partially closed,
while in the fourth year not an open
saloon was to be found in his district.
And yet, Mr.. Moorehead tells us, pro-
hibition is lowering to the soul. Can
there be better proof, that in proportion
as the sale of intoxicants is diminished,
crime is diminished in the same ratio?
But Mr.. Moorehead asks: "Does pro-
hibition convince the inebriate Of the
evil of his lnlulgence?"
Why. my dear SIT, is there man SO
debased, SO degraded, SO lost to shame
that he does not know that INDUCING
in strong drink to excess is wrong?
Did you ever know a drunkard to
offer the poorest apology OF an argu-
ment in justification OF the habit OF
drunkenness? l never did. Better
might !. thief Justify stealing on the
plea Of kleptomania or the murderers
on the ground Of heretlity. On the con- !,